US8592681B2ActiveUtilityA1

Electrical device with removable cover

Assignee: ALDERSON R DAVIDPriority: Apr 27, 2010Filed: Apr 27, 2010Granted: Nov 26, 2013

Est. expiryApr 27, 2030(~3.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:R. David Alderson Jerry R. Hoffman Michael D. Williams Ronald Jansen Adam Kevelos Nehal Shah Kang Pin Tee

H01H 2233/074Y10T29/49826H01H 2223/046H01H 2229/042H01H 13/86H02G 3/14

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Claims

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes an electrical device and a removable cover, where the electrical device and the removable cover are adapted to enable the removable cover to pivot into an installed position on the electrical device. In another embodiment, a system includes an electrical device having a pushbutton, and a cover adapted to be removably attached to the electrical device, where the cover includes an opening for accessing the pushbutton, and where the pushbutton includes a sub button and a cosmetic cap adapted to be removably attached to the sub button.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

The invention claimed is:

1. An interchangeable cover for an electrical receptacle, the electrical receptacle having a face with a plurality of receptacle openings, the cover comprising:
front and back surfaces and having a top and bottom end and two sides;
a plurality of cover openings corresponding to the plurality of receptacle openings, the plurality of cover openings extending through the front and back surfaces of the cover, wherein the plurality of cover openings are positioned to be in alignment with the plurality of receptacle openings when the cover is interchangeably attached to the receptacle face;
one or more pivotable hinge feet arranged on the back surface of the cover and proximate the bottom end, the one or more pivotable hinge feet being sized and configured to pivotally engage one or more corresponding retention openings on the receptacle face; and
one or more cover fastening features arranged on the back surface of the cover and proximate the top end, the one or more fastening features being sized and configured to removably engage one or more corresponding receptacle fastening features on the receptacle face such that the interchangeable cover remains attached to the receptacle face when the cover is in an installed position.

2. The cover of claim 1 where the one or more fastening features includes a resilient fastening feature.

3. The cover of claim 2 where the resilient fastening feature comprises a snap adapted to engage an opening on the electrical device.

4. The cover of claim 1 where:
the distance between the two ends is greater than the distance between the two sides.

5. The cover of claim 1 where:
the cover has a long dimension and a short dimension; and
the cover is adapted to pivot in the long dimension.

6. The cover of claim 1 where:
the cover has a long dimension and a short dimension; and
the cover is adapted to pivot in the short dimension.

7. The cover of claim 1 further comprising a retaining feature to prevent removal of the cover from the electrical device while a wall plate is installed over the electrical device.

8. The cover of claim 1 where:
the cover includes a top plate to cover a portion of the electrical device and two sides depending downwardly from the top plate at opposite peripheries of the top plate; and
the cover is constructed so the top plate flexes downward in response to outward flexing of one or both of the two sides.

9. An electrical device comprising:
a plurality of receptacle openings on a face of the electrical device, the electrical device having a raised portion;
one or more retention openings on the face of the electrical device to form a pivot point and being sized and positioned to pivotally engage one or more corresponding hinge feet on a removable cover; and one or more fastening features on the electrical device positioned to engage one or more fastening features located on a back surface of the removable cover such that the cover remains attached to the receptacle face when the cover is in an installed position.

10. The electrical device of claim 9 where the electrical device comprises: a plane on which the one or more retention features and one or more fastening features are located; and
the raised portion projects from the plane.

11. The electrical device of claim 9 where the raised portion includes one or more flexing features arranged to flex one or more sides of the removable cover as the removable cover is pivoted into the installed position.

12. The electrical device of claim 11 where the one or more flexing features includes a rib projecting outward from the raised portion.

13. The electrical device of claim 12 where the rib includes a ramp to engage one of the sides of the removable cover as the removable cover is pivoted into the installed position.

14. The electrical device of claim 11 where the one or more flexing features includes two ribs projecting outward in opposite directions on opposite sides of the raised portion to force two sides of the removable cover to flex outward in opposite directions.

15. The electrical device of claim 9 where the one or more retention openings includes an opening having a beveled side.

16. A system comprising:
an electrical device having a face with a plurality of receptacles opening and a raised portion; and a removable cover having a plurality of cover openings alignable with the plurality of receptacle openings to allow access to the receptacle openings, the cover being alignable with the raised portion; retention openings located on the electrical device and hinge feet located on the removable cover to enable the removable cover to pivot into an installed position on the electrical device.

17. system of claim 16 where:
the electrical device comprises a raised portion ; and
the removable cover comprises a rim arranged to overlap the raised portion when the removable cover is in the installed position.

18. The system of claim 17 where the rim includes one or more cutouts for clearance around one or more features of the electrical device.

19. The system of claim 16 where:
the retention openings and the hinge feet sized and positioned so the hinge feet may be engaged with the retention openings when the cover is at an angle to the electrical device; and
the retention openings and the hinge feet are adapted so the hinge is hinge feet are retained by the retention openings when the cover is in the installed position.

20. The system of claim 16 where
the removable cover comprises a first resilient fastening feature; and
the electrical device comprises a second resilient fastening feature adapted to engage the first resilient fastening feature to secure the removable cover in the installed position.

21. An electrical device comprising:
one or more fastening openings sized and configured to removably receive corresponding fastening structures on an interchangeable cover for the electrical device, the electrical device having a face and the fastening structures residing on the face to fasten the interchangeable cover to the face; and
a sub button on the electrical device having a flexing structure sized and positioned to removably attach a cosmetic cap having a corresponding fastening feature to the sub button, the interchangeable cover having an opening positioned to align with the sub button to allow access to the sub button when the interchangeable cover is in an installed position;
where the sub button is arranged to function as a pushbutton with or without the cosmetic cap attached to the sub button.

22. The electrical device of claim 21 where the fastening feature of the sub button comprises a snap feature.

23. The electrical device of claim 22 where the snap feature comprises a recess.

24. The electrical device of claim 21 where the sub button comprises a removal feature to assist removal of the cosmetic cap from the sub button.

25. The electrical device of claim 24 where the removal feature comprises a pry cut.

26. The electrical device of claim 21 further comprising a guide arranged to guide the sub button as the sub button is actuated.

27. The electrical device of claim 26 where the guide comprises a rail arranged to engage a slot on the sub button.

28. The electrical device of claim 26 further comprising a stop arranged to limit the motion of the sub button.

29. The electrical device of claim 28 where the stop comprises a ledge arranged to engage a ledge on the sub button.

30. The electrical device of claim 21 further comprising a sub face having an opening arranged to align with the sub button.

31. The electrical device of claim 30 where sub face includes a removal feature to assist removal of the cosmetic cap from the sub button.

32. The electrical device of claim 31 where the removal feature comprises a pry ramp.

33. The electrical device of claim 31 where the sub face includes one or more guide walls arranged to guide the sub button as it moves inward and outward.

34. The electrical device of claim 31 further comprising a light guide arranged to engage an opening in the cover.

35. The electrical device of claim 21 where:
the electrical device comprises a fault circuit interrupter; and
the sub button is arranged as a test or reset button for the fault circuit interrupter.

36. The electrical device of claim 21 where:
the electrical device further comprises a second sub button having a fastening feature adapted to removably attach a second cosmetic cap to the second sub button; and
the second sub button is arranged to function as a pushbutton with or without the second cosmetic cap attached to the second sub button.

37. The electrical device of claim 36 where:
the electrical device comprises a fault circuit interrupter;
the first sub button is arranged as a test button for the fault circuit interrupter; and
the second sub button is arranged as a reset button for the fault circuit interrupter.

38. An interchange kit comprising:
an interchangeable cover having front and back surfaces and a face with fastening features sized and positioned to be removably attached to a face of an electrical device and the cover including an opening extending through the front and back surfaces, the opening configured and sized to allow access to a sub button on an electrical device; and
a cosmetic cap having fastening features adapted to be removably attached to fastening features on the sub button and to pass through the opening of the cover.

39. The interchange kit of claim 38 where the cosmetic cap includes a retainer feature to prevent removal of the cosmetic cap while the cover is attached to the electrical device.

40. The interchange kit of claim 39 where the retainer feature comprises a flange on the cosmetic cap arranged to engage the cover as the cosmetic cap moves through the opening of the cover.

41. The interchange kit of claim 39 where:
the opening is a first opening, the sub button is a first sub button, and the cosmetic cap is a first cosmetic cap;
the cover comprises a second opening arranged to access a second sub button on the electrical device; and
the interchange kit further comprises a second cosmetic cap adapted to be removably attached to the second sub button and to pass through the second opening of the cover.

42. The interchange kit of claim 41 where:
the first cosmetic cap is labeled reset; and
the second cosmetic cap is labeled test.

43. The interchange kit of claim 42 where:
the first and second openings are arranged to align with reset and test buttons, respectively, on a fault circuit interrupter device.

44. A system comprising:
an electrical device having a pushbutton and on a face of the electrical device and the pushbutton; and
an interchangeable cover having front and back surfaces and hinge feet sized and positioned to correspond to the fastening features on the face of the electrical device to be removably attached to the face of the electrical device, the interchangeable cover having openings corresponding to and alignable with receptacle openings on the electrical device, the openings extending through the cover;
where the cover includes an opening for accessing the pushbutton; and
where the pushbutton includes a sub button having fastening features and a cosmetic cap having fastening features corresponding to the fastening features on the pushbutton adapted to be removably attached to the sub button.

45. The system of claim 44 further comprising a guide arranged to guide the pushbutton in the opening of the cover.

46. The system of claim 45 where the guide is integral with the cover.

47. The system of claim 45 where the guide includes:
a first portion that is integral with the cover; and
a second portion that is integral with the electrical device.

48. The system of claim 44 where:
the pushbutton, opening, sub button and cosmetic cap are a first pushbutton, a first opening, a first sub button and a first cosmetic cap, respectively;
the electrical device includes a second pushbutton;
the cover includes a second opening for accessing the second pushbutton; and
the second pushbutton includes a second sub button and a second cosmetic cap adapted to be removably attached to the second sub button.

49. The system of claim 48 where:
the electrical device comprises a fault circuit interrupter;
the first pushbutton is arranged to operate as a reset button for the fault circuit interrupter; and
the second pushbutton is arranged to operate as a test button for the fault circuit interrupter.

50. A method of changing an interchangeable cover on an electrical device comprising:
engaging hinge feet on the interchangeable cover having front and back surfaces with a retention feature on the electrical device, the electrical device having a raised portion;
pivoting the cover to an installed position on the electrical device, wherein openings on the cover extend through the front and back surfaces and correspond to receptacle openings on the electrical device and allow access to the receptacle openings; and fastening the cover in the installed position.

51. The method of claim 50 where fastening the cover comprises inserting a snap into an opening.

52. The method of claim 50 further comprising flexing the cover to force a front of the cover against a face of the electrical device.

53. The method of claim 52 where:
the cover includes two sides arranged on opposite sides of the cover;
the face of the electrical device is arranged on the raised portion of the electrical device; and flexing the cover includes flexing the sides in opposite directions to fit over the raised portion.

54. The method of claim 53 where flexing the sides in opposite directions comprises engaging at least one of the sides of the cover with at least one rib on a side of the raised portion.

55. A method of changing an interchangeable cover for an electrical device comprising:
attaching a removable cap to a sub button on the face of the electrical device, the removable cap and the sub button having corresponding fastening features, the electrical device having a raised portion; and
attaching a removable cover to the face of the electrical device by hinge feet on the removable cover and corresponding openings on the face of the electrical device, wherein the cap is guided through an opening in the cover.

56. The method of claim 55 where the cap is guided through the opening by a guide projecting from a back of the cover.

57. The method of claim 55 further comprising preventing the cap from being removed from the sub button while the cover is attached to the electrical device.

58. The method of claim 55 where the sub button is arranged to operate regardless of the presence or absence of the cap and/or cover.

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